Each year there are thousands of distracted driving accidents in Australia, and yet you’ll find 2 or 3 motorists multi-tasking while speeding on the road. With access to numerous latest gadgets at our fingertips, it is easy to lose focus while on the road.
Distractions are dangerous
There is a risk of a crash even if your eyes are off the road for a couple of seconds. This short lapse in focus can have life-threatening consequences. Car distraction is not just limited to using mobile phones. It also includes using GPS devices, drinking or eating food, pets, kids, passengers, and stress. One can lose focus even while turning the car AC on or off and while going through the playlist of their favorite songs.
One of the most important things that the driving schools focus on during their lessons is how to avoid all kinds of distractions. The Ltrent Driving School in Australia is a pretty good spot to start learning when it comes to beginning your first lesson to undistracted driving.
Preventing distracted driving
- Ensure all passengers have their seatbelts on and safe before driving
- If you are a new driver or learner, reduce the number of pets and passengers you drive at one time
- While traveling with dogs, make sure they are not harnessed or leased and seated in the back seat of your vehicle. For cats, make sure that they are in a pet carrier, safe and comfortable
- If your passengers are too loud, do not be afraid to ask them to be quiet or keep it low. Let them know that you are finding it difficult to focus on the road with a lot of noise
- Adjust your mirror, seat, or other areas in the car before you start the engine. Make sure you are comfortable and unobstructed
- Avoid drinking, eating, or even getting groomed/dressed while driving
- Silent your mobile phone and place it out of reach. You can also activate the do not disturb feature or use technologies like Bluetooth or voice activation while driving to answer emergency calls
- Do not change the radio channel or music while moving. You can do so at the traffic signal when the car is stationary to avoid distraction
- As soon as you feel distracted, try to immediately stop the activity and stay focused. You can pull over at the side of the road and continue with it if it is unavoidable at the very moment
- Passengers can help in identifying road hazards or any other risky situations. They can also help to navigate to the desired location using a mobile phone app or car-inbuilt GPS. They can also answer your calls, adjust AC, change songs, and more
Types of distractions
- Cognitive distractions
- Visual distractions
- Physical distraction
As you can see that distracted driving can lead to disasters that could have been avoided in the first place. Divers cannot afford to lose focus even for a couple of seconds while driving. That however does not mean that you need to be too tight and rigid. Relax your body and mind, but keep your eyes on the road at all times.